Sail Away Tuesday

This isn’t the recipe I had planned to share today. It’s good, and very close to what I had in mind, but not exactly. Let me explain.

My plan was to create as close to a Taco Bell Taco Supreme as I could. Why? I mean, Taco Bell isn’t exactly authentic Mexican Food. Far from it. Yet every now and again, I crave that Fast Food Tacos. When I was a girl, the first “fast food” to open in our neck of the woods (within walking distance), was Taco Bell. It was small, with windows for placing orders and picking up food, and picnic tables for dining. Back then, we could get a few tacos from the loose change found in the sofa cushions.

Taco Bell wasn’t my first introduction to tacos. We made tacos at home, filled with a mixture of ground beef and chorizo. The chorizo wasn’t like what we know today. Ours came in a tin packed with lard straight from Spain. It was amazing. Mom had family in Spain, and every few months they would send a few tins of real Spanish chorizo. So while the tacos at home were far better than those of Taco Bell, Taco Bell had a crunchy shell and pasty meat filling that was different. Like TV Dinners, I thought of Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos as exotic.

So why didn’t we make the Taco Bell inspired tacos as planned? While Hubby and I stood in the Mexican Foods aisle of the grocery store, Hubby suggested we use the Taco Flats rather than the hard shells. He’s not a fan of hard shells. The flats give you Nachos that you can hold in your hand. So while it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind, it was fine by me.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Taco Boat Supreme
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
1-1/2 tablespoons Masa Corn Flour
4-1/2 teaspoons New Mexican Red Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons Dried Minced Onions
4 oz block Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/2 head Iceberg Lettuce
2 firm Roma Tomatoes
1-1/2 lbs Ground Beef
3/4 cup Beef Stock
10 Taco Boats (Flats)
1 cup Sour Cream

Additional Garnish
Salsa as desired
Nacho-Style Jalapeno Peppers
Taco Sauce

Unwrap Bouillon Cubes, place in a small plastic bag, close bag and lay flat on a hard surface. Smash cubes with a meat mallet. In a small bowl combine masa corn flour, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, paprika, cumin, garlic salt, sugar, minced onion, and crushed bouillon. Mix well and set aside.

Finely grate cheese, cover in plastic wrap to keep moist, set aside. Stack lettuce leaves, roll and slice into strips to shred, set aside. Quarter tomatoes, remove seeds. Dice tomatoes, set aside

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck into the skillet and cook while breaking the meat up into chunks with a spatula until browned. Drain off any excess grease.

Add beef stock and the taco seasoning mix to the ground beef, mix well. Simmer meat filling on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until most of the moisture has cooked away.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place taco flats on a rimmed baking pan. Place the baking pan into the heated oven and bake for 6 minutes. Allow the shells to cool for about 8 minutes.

To assemble add a couple of tablespoons of the taco meat to the bottom of the tacos flat. Top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream. If desired, add salsa, jalapeno slices and taco sauce for an over-the-top Supreme Bite.

Baked Pintos-N-Cheese
1 can Refried Beans
1/4 whole Red Onion, minced
1/2 cup Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spritz 4 small ramekins with cooking spray.
Divide beans in into the prepared dishes. Finely mince onions, scatter over the beans. Top each with a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce, then a scattering of cheese. Cover each serving with foil.

Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Add about 1/2-inch of water into the baking sheet to create a little steam. Bake in the heated oven for about 25 minutes or until heated through.

Carefully remove from oven. Serve as individual bowls of Pintos and Cheese. But remember, those ramekins are hot!